Dear parishioners of St. Mary’s Parish – Vancouver,

 

Great news: we have decided that the time has come to re-open our church for attendance at mass.

This will be effective Monday, July 6th if two conditions are met:

  1. There is no significant increase in daily new cases of Covid-19, and
  2. We can provide ushers at every mass, which is essential for a safe opening. Speaking of ushers, our need for ushers is considerable, so if anyone reading this is prepared to volunteer to be an usher, contact Andrew Costales, who is the usher coordinator. You can obtain his contact information by communicating with Lorna at the parish office. (extension “0”) We ask that you please abstain from volunteering as an usher if you meet the reasons outlined below for not attending mass at all.

THE OBLIGATION TO ATTEND SUNDAY MASS ON A REGULAR BASIS IS STILL LIFTED.

Until it is possible for everyone to attend mass, the obligation for Catholics to attend mass on a regular basis remains lifted. 

SCHEDULE

We will begin carefully, and gradually, as there are a lot of restrictions. 

In Phase 1, we will be open only for WEEKDAY masses from Monday to Saturday, according to the current schedule of live-streamed masses, that is, 

  • a.     Monday to Saturday at 9:00 a.m., and 
  • b.     Wednesday to Friday at 7:00 p.m. 

When we are satisfied that all is going smoothly with attendance at weekday masses, then we will move on to phase 2, which will be a partial opening of Sunday masses, later.

Please note that we will continue to live stream masses on both Sundays and weekdays until it becomes possible for all our parishioners to attend mass.

REGISTRATION

  1. Attendance will be limited to a total of 50 people per mass. 
  2. You must register for every attendance. 
  3. You will be asked to register for no more than one weekday mass per week to give as many people as possible the opportunity to attend mass,
  4. Only those who have registered in advance will be allowed into the church for any given mass. 
  5. Every week, Monday to Friday, you will be able to sign up for a mass celebrated the following week only. 
  6. There will be three ways of registering for a weekday mass:

        a. Online on website www.stmarysvancouver.ca.

           b. By phoning 604-435-9611 and dialing extension “0”.

        c. Emailing the parish office: [email protected].

WHO MAY NOT ATTEND MASS:

The following will be asked to please not register nor attend mass:


  • 1. Those who, for whatever COVID-related reason, are self-isolating or self-quarantining.

 

  • 2. The elderly, those who have a chronic medical condition of any kind, but especially those with a condition related to the respiratory system, and those whose immune system is compromised. 

I know that for many of you, this news is hurtful. Allow me to simply remind you of the reason why: among all those who have been infected with Covid-19, the mortality rate among the elderly, those who have a chronic medical condition, and those whose immune system is compromised is much higher than among the general population of those that have been infected. To put it bluntly, if you belong to one of these three categories and you come to mass, you are putting at risk not only your health but your life.


 

  • 3. Any person who lives with someone who belongs to any of the categories described above is also asked to please not attend mass, as they are putting the vulnerable people in their household in danger

 

  • 4. Those who are experiencing COVID-like symptoms, namely, fever, runny nose, sore throat, cough, headache, difficulty breathing, are asked to not attend mass. 

 

  • 5. Those who have returned from outside of Canada are asked to not attend mass for 14 days after their return from abroad. 

COMMUNION AVAILABLE FOR THOSE WHO ARE UNABLE TO ATTEND MASS

I hasten to add that upon request, we will take communion to anyone who is prevented from attending mass. This request can be made by communicating by phone or email with Lorna at the parish office.

THE SPIRIT IN WHICH WE ARE APPLYING THE RECOMMENDATIONS WE HAVE RECEIVED FROM PUBLIC HEALTH AND FROM THE ARCHDIOCESE

As you can see, the net of those who are asked to not attend mass is cast wide. This is in accordance with the recommendations of the public health department and the archdiocese of Vancouver. We really hope that you will bear in mind the sound reasons for all these recommendations and help us to abide by them.

We will apply these recommendations in the same spirit that has characterized British Columbia public health’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, and that is by appealing to reason, and by relying on our parishioners’ sense of goodwill, solidarity, and concern for the common good, which is obviously working in the province’s approach to the pandemic. We hope it will work for us as well. 

So as to not overburden this communication, I will stop here. When you register for a mass, you will be provided with guidelines for attendance at mass, and perhaps even a video that will walk you through it visually.

This is a real learning curve for all of us, but in the words of Dr. Bonnie Henry, if everyone “remains safe, calm, and kind,” everything should be fine. In a little time, this new reality will simply become the new normal. See you at Mass!

 

Fr. Guy